Texas State endowment achieves milestone, exceeds $200 million

Texas State University

September 30, 2018 | Giving Around Texas

The Total University Endowment at Texas State University has surpassed $200 million President Denise M. Trauth announced during the annual Convocation on August 24. The milestone was achieved in May of this year, spurred by a series of gifts to the university. “Endowment funds help us attract and retain the best and brightest students and faculty, expand our academic programs and pursue research activities,”… Read more »

New Funding Opportunity

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

September 30, 2018 | Grants Available

As a myriad of health risks are associated with sugary drink consumption, strategies to help young children build healthy beverage habits need to be implemented in all of the places they spend time. Crucial to this effort is a strong body of evidence that shows the best approaches and policies to help families make healthy drink choices. Healthy Eating Research, an RWJF national research… Read more »

Funding Alert

The Department of State Health Services (DSHS)

September 30, 2018 | Grants Available

Funding News and Grant Tips   International Giving by U.S. Foundations Grew 29 Percent Between 2011-2015 http://dshs.texas.gov/fic/al29-8-4.aspx#A   Foundation Investment Returns Rose Significantly in 2017 http://dshs.texas.gov/fic/al29-8-4.aspx#B   Only Half of Younger Staff Think Their Foundation’s Work Is Relevant http://dshs.texas.gov/fic/al29-8-4.aspx#C     Public Funding Opportunities   Collaborative Action Program to Reduce Liver Cancer Mortality in Texas: Collaborative Action Center Award: RFA R-19.2-CAP:CAC http://dshs.texas.gov/fic/al29-8-4.aspx#D Collaborative Action… Read more »

Houston Arts Alliance to Oversee Initiative to Help Harvey-ImpactedArts & Cultural Community

Houston Arts Alliance

September 30, 2018 | Events

Houston Arts Alliance (HAA) is continuing of a series of workshops to foster disaster resilience for arts, cultural, and historical organizations in the Greater Houston area. Led by national experts from Performing Arts Readiness and CERF+, HAA’s workshops will help studios, galleries, theatres, as well as independent visual and performing artists, learn how to be more ready and resilient for the next disaster. A… Read more »

Mission and job satisfaction give nonprofits an edge over for-profit companies in attracting and retaining talent

TIAA

September 30, 2018 | News

A new TIAA survey finds three out of four employees and eight in ten managers choose to work at their nonprofit organizations – and stay there for years – because they’re committed to making a difference in people’s lives. The Nonprofit Survey, conducted as part of TIAA’s 100-year anniversary and the TIAA Difference Maker 100 program, also found that nonprofit employees and managers are… Read more »

Patterns of Giving by the Wealthy

Urban Institute

September 30, 2018 | News

While almost all wealthy individuals make charitable contributions during their lifetimes, most fail to make charitable gifts when they die. But when they do, these contributions are, on average, many times larger than the gifts they gave over their last few years of life, even though earlier giving would have almost always reduced their total tax burden. In this study, we use a file of estate tax returns matched to income tax returns to analyze charitable giving by wealthy individuals at the time of their death (2007) compared with giving over their last five years of life (2002–06).

Photo by Olsztyn, Poland

You Can Provide Safety & Security For Families That Suffer The Unexpected

SamMinistries

September 30, 2018 | News

The unexpected can happen to any one of us. Your support fuels our mission and helps 400 families a day find a safe place to call home. For 35 years, we’ve been helping San Antonio families find the safety and security they need when the unexpected happens. We’re celebrating those 35 years with a 35-hour challenge. Friends like you can help by sending your… Read more »

Introducing the Certificate in Nonprofit Financial Management in Austin

Austin Center for Nonprofit Studies

September 30, 2018 | Events

The Certificate in Nonprofit Financial Management is a comprehensive and systematic learning opportunity, covering the tools, frameworks and concepts necessary for effective nonprofit financial management. Especially useful for: Current financial management staff seeking further education or a refresher; Aspiring professionals seeking competence and professional opportunities in this area; Program staff seeking understanding of this critical organizational function; Individuals looking to make a career change… Read more »

A Year After Hurricane Harvey, Congress Still Hasn’t Improved U.S. Flood Policy

Pew

September 24, 2018 | Tragedies

In the year since Hurricane Harvey battered Texas and other Gulf Coast states, leaving 89 people dead and causing more than $125 billion in damage, many communities in the region have made strides to both recover from Harvey’s unprecedented flooding and prepare for the next storm. Unfortunately, much-needed action hasn’t occurred at the federal level: When it comes to pre-disaster flood policy, Congress has… Read more »

Astronaut José Hernandez to deliver LBJ Distinguished Lecture

Texas State University

September 24, 2018 | Events

Astronaut and engineer José Hernandez will deliver the LBJ Distinguished Lecture at Texas State University September 25 during Innovation Week. The free public speech will be held at 7 p.m. in Evans Auditorium. It is presented in conjunction with the Common Experience at Texas State. Seating is limited, and advance tickets to the event may be obtained at txstatepresents.universitytickets.com/w/event.aspx?id=2449&p=1. Hernández, a former migrant farmworker,… Read more »

Mark Cuban and the Dallas Mavericks Commit $850K to Seven North Texas Giving Day Nonprofits

Mark Cuban and the Dallas Mavericks

September 24, 2018 | Giving Around Texas

Hours after Mark Cuban announced his $10 million commitment to women’s advocacy nonprofits, Cuban and the Dallas Mavericks committed the first $850,000 to seven organizations participating in North Texas Giving Day. This first installment is dedicated to nonprofits focused on supporting women and preventing domestic violence serving in the North Texas area. These seven nonprofits include: The Gatehouse ($250,000); Genesis Women’s Shelter ($100,000); Girls Inc. of Metropolitan… Read more »

Jeff Bezos on his Billion Day One Fund

Jeff Bezos

September 24, 2018 | Funders and Foundations

I talk often about the importance of maintaining a Day mentality. It’s always Day 1, and I work hard to apply that mindset to everything I do. It was a Day 1 outlook that made me reach out to ask for suggestions on approaches to philanthropy last year. By so many important measures the world keeps getting better, and it’s one of the fantastic… Read more »

Reliant Donations to EarthShare of Texas Top $1 Million

Reliant

September 24, 2018 | Giving Around Texas

Whether it’s improving outdoor green spaces in urban areas, helping local farmers preserve their land or saving native wildlife, one thing is certain: Texans are passionate about supporting their communities and making the Lone Star State the best place to live and work. Reliant’s EcoShare program is a great example of that commitment with support from customers achieving donations to EarthShare of Texassurpassing the… Read more »

Texas Instruments Grants $8.1 Million to Provide Access to Education in Under-resourced Areas Throughout North Texas

Texas Instruments Foundation

September 24, 2018 | Giving Around Texas

Texas Instruments (TI) announced  that its corporate and foundation education grants total $8.1 million in 2018, of which $6.9 million (85%) aims to improve kindergarten through 12th grade science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education. More than 155,000 area students and nearly 7,000 local educators are impacted by the grants, 97% of which target under-resourced students in the Dallas area. Grant recipients include a… Read more »

Why Does Your Board Micromanage? Learn from My Error and Create a Board that Governs

Karen Eber Davis

September 24, 2018 | How tos

It was a beautiful August morning. Twenty campers and four counselors outfitted in orange lifejackets paddled silver canoes across a glassy blue lake in northern New Hampshire.    We pulled up to a sand spit. As we unloaded, I, one of the junior counselors, muttered, “I wish I had a brownie. We should have brought snacks.”   In response, all twenty campers moaned in… Read more »

The Best of Planet Earth in Action When Government Fails Us: The Philanthropic Community Announces $4 Billion Commitment to Combat Climate Change

Climate Action Network (CAN) International

September 24, 2018 | Environment, Funders and Foundations, Impact & Sustainable Investing, Leadership, Strong Communities

Last week, 29 philanthropists pledged $4 billion over the next five years to combat climate change—the largest-ever philanthropic investment focused on climate change mitigation. The announcement, made at the Global Climate Action Summit (GCAS) in San Francisco, represents a broad global commitment to accelerate proven climate and clean-energy strategies, spur innovation and support organizations around the world working to protect the air they breathe and the communities they call home.

The Council for Adult and Experiential Learning Unveils Major Initiative to Increase Degree Attainment Among Latino Adult Students

The Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) and Excelencia in Education

September 24, 2018 | News

The Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL), in partnership with Excelencia in Education, today announced a new effort to help Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) increase the number of degrees awarded to adult Latino students. Funded by The Kresge Foundation, Great Lakes Higher Education Corporation & Affiliates and Greater Texas Foundation, the initiative will provide 15 HSIs with diagnostic tools and programmatic support to implement… Read more »

A very interesting breakdown: 2018’s Most & Least Diverse States in America

Wallet Hub

September 24, 2018 | News

With Hispanic Heritage Month in full swing and the leadership in Fortune 500 companies still dominated by Caucasian males, the personal-finance website WalletHub conducted an in-depth analysis of 2018’s Most & Least Diverse States in America as well as accompanying videos. To determine where the most idea and identity exchanges have occurred at the highest level in the U.S. — and where the population… Read more »